Worn Out

13.5.17

1960's satin 'Greta' evening shoes by BALLY of Switzerland
They were loved, but now abandoned. I had to face the fact that I
was never going to wear them again.or these Bert & Ernie / Charlie Brownsaddle shoes
by Cole Haan.
Lovely lining and loved, but life moves on, if slowly.
Walk a mile in my shoes.
If the shoe fits, wear it.

18.4.15

These are my VOGUE stacks, going back to 1969 and the issues from 1970 to 1973 are in handsome navy red and gold stamped VOGUE binders.

Jean Shrimpton is on many of the covers, and while the girly 1960's are typified by MOD culture evolving, the concurrent prevailing 'look' was known as 'DollyBird' and she was their goddess. A film has been made based on the early part of her career when she went to New York City for a VOGUE shoot with David Bailey. I won't be seeing it, and the publicity will irritate me, but I have all these for my Shrimp fix instead. She is a recluse now and I don't blame her one bit.

Update: since then I saw part of the Bailey/Shrimpton fiction on FreeToAir TV and it wasn't too awful, but I just could not stick at it because of inaccuracies.
This post was originally at the closed blog of Ann Odyne 2012 and is reposted here for Anoushka, 2015.

30.7.14

the photo is of the divine Paulette Goddard. what a woman, what a life.
when accused by the idiot McCarthy era HUAC of being "a Commie sympathiser" her response was that if called to testify against her colleagues she would pelt the committee with her diamond necklaces until they stopped.

To mark the birthday of cake-loving blogger pal Ms Copperwitch, we ponder [and I quote Mystic Medusa -]"What does it mean to be a Leo, centuries after astrologers began to define this sign? How do people born from late July through late August reveal themselves, in modern 21st century astrology? Some things never change. The ancient lion archetype has long been a symbol for Kings and Queens and pageantry and heraldry is dominated by lions.Ruled by The Sun, you can never avoid being singled out for attention. The invisible Leo is almost non-existent. You may love the spotlight or loathe it but you must learn to shine, all the same. It’s okay to switch off afterwards. Leos all know how to make themselves invisible. Dark glasses are common.The father, for better or worse is the dominant influence on a Leo’s life. If the family/father connection is broken in childhood it has a stronger impact on Leo than other signs. The young Leo will then look for a father figure as a guide, mentor and role model. Astrologer Jessica Adams says:You will develop a powerful new relationship with the world of health, medicine, fitness or healing until 2024 that will transform your life for the better ...but that's after the hangover clears. Wishing you a magical day and many more.

24.2.14

IN this bronze and peacock feather confection by Matthew Williamson.
Those birds did not denude in vain.
I could have bought this via Netaporter for only $6,295 but then I read:
"Navy and teal quilted chiffon skirt with bronze sequin embellishment and a peacock feather trim and gold threadwork, gold and storm-blue beaded tassel embellishment, an exposed gunmetal zip fastening at front and is fully lined. 100% nylon; lining: 93% silk, 7% elastane. Specialist clean."

Ha ha. I would love to be at the drycleaners when they try do do anything with it though.

Here are the orthopædically perfect purple party shoes to enhance the frock.

28.9.12

The model is Janny Goss a Carlton girl, and this Norma Tullo knit was my favourite jumper in about 1965. Ms Tullo had a boutique on the corner of Toorak Rd and Avoca St South Yarra, and her factory in Richmond had the 'honour' of the council renaming it's street Tullo Place.
My beloved Canary jumper came in a book with another pattern in pale blue mohair of a cardigan with crochet 'buttons' stuffed with cotton wool (I think that model is Georgia Gold),

and that was the more-popular pattern choice of the Melbourne Dollybirds, they were everywhere in it.

9.7.12

This hat just slays me. It's a Seventies thing, emanating from San Francisco, made out of old Levis denim and known as a Camp Street hat. I had one from 1974 until it disintegrated from 20 years use.
Babs wearing one above, as pictured on the cover of her 1971 Barbra Joan Streisand LP. produced by Richard Perry and full of torch songs, I loved that album as well.

28.1.12

In 1973 when Melbourne still had evening broadsheet The Herald, the Saturday issue had what were, in those pre-CelebTrash days, referred to as 'human interest' features. Now papers have less news than puff, but way back then, they did not.
(One time my journalist pal Jillian Burt wrote one on Andy Warhol and they said to her "we can't run that - nobody has ever heard of him".)

They did however, risk running one of these non-news pieces on a tiny new Sydney boutique in the very pretty Strand Arcade, called Flamingo Park. The feature was about the originality of Bondi-born Jenny Kee who founded it, and Beaumaris-born Linda Jackson who joined her shortly after.

The frocks illustrated were unusual and lovely, silky slinky and bias-cut in the 1930's style, from vintage patterned fabric - one was of lining silk, monogrammed all over with the name Letty Lynton and I wish I could see the gowns it had otherwise lined.

Totally impressed, I, dear reader, wrote them a fan letter.

When, in 1976 they came down south to Melbourne and showed their collection in a suite at The Windsor Hotel, a trunk show as the Americans call it when a store sets-up temporarily away from home base - I got a backless, circular skirted silk gown called Harold Park (after the dog races I assume).It ties at the neck, it has no buttons or zips. Here it is on my floor for a picture (left) and I have spread on it the description catalogues from 3 of their Sydney collection launches I attended.

Here left, is the parade card from Flamingo Follies on a close-up of the pretty floral.

When I moved to Sydney we became pals in the way shops do with good customers, and when they took their first trip to New York City they were clutching my streetmap, well-used and marked with all the best department store locations.

Geraldine Stutz at Henri Bendel the most stylish, the absolute biggest deal at that time, gave them an order.

On the left,one of Linda's Delaunay-inspired jackets (on a model)and underneath, another on TV journalist Lyndall Hobbs in Melbourne before going to Los Angeles and directing Beach Blanket Bingo.Lyndall was at the 1983 London wedding of Sydney model Gael McKay whose gown was also one of Linda's loveliest creations. Sienna's sister Savannah Miller was her flowergirl and other guests were Dodi Fayed, George Harrison, Ms Jerry Hall and singer Mick Jagger.

In 1976 I bought Linda's taffeta jacket
homage to Delaunay, and
in 1979 a Cesarine sundress
with Delaunay pockets.
Both so very very 'Sydney Seventies' and
still looking cheerful hanging on
my gates today in Mount Helen
nearly 40 years on.

Jenny Kee is known for her knits designs(you may recall seeing photos of Lady Diana Spencer wearing a koala pattern that Jenny gave her),and which, when I bought one called The Wattle.were created/realised, byJan Ayres.

Somewhere here on the leftor wherever Blogger decides to plonk the image, is Linda wearing it,

(Linda photo copyright William Yang probably)

and then my color photoas it looks today hanging in this room.

Bigger people than me love
Jenny and Linda's styles.
Powerhouse Museum NSW has a lot of it, and now in Melbourne
a show at NGV Federation Square.

Coincidentally, before Linda teamed with Jenny
she worked in Paris at Mia and Vicki,
who made my favourite frock, covered in my previous post you might like to read as well.
Thanks for your visit.
UPDATE 31st Jan: The Loupe has posted photos of the NGV opening night worth the clickthrough just to see Linda's incredible hair, and what Melbourne wears on a very hot day.